


the perfect blend

by downeylove, kayytx



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Fluff, Identity Porn, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers, Tony-centric, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-15
Updated: 2018-03-15
Packaged: 2019-03-31 04:13:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13967100
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/downeylove/pseuds/downeylove, https://archiveofourown.org/users/kayytx/pseuds/kayytx
Summary: Tired of the stress and pressure that comes with being the CEO of a global tech conglomerate, Tony hands over control of Stark Industries to Pepper and decides to open a cafe in Brooklyn.Then an exhausted high school teacher named Steve walks into his life looking for coffee and doesn’t make any effort to leave. Not that Tony’s complaining.





	the perfect blend

**Author's Note:**

> so i had originally left this as a [prompt](http://kayytx.tumblr.com/post/171581675607) on tumblr, but the longer i thought about it the more ideas i had and eventually i decided to just go for it and write the fic.
> 
> co-written with downeylove (we kinda blew up the group chat a bit oops)
> 
> also major thanks to [brandnewfashion](http://brandnewfashion.tumblr.com/) and [lady-pei](http://lady-pei.tumblr.com/) for putting up with my ranting about this idea and anything related to it.
> 
> anyway, so! baby's first published fic. pls enjoy :)
> 
> (super minor edits made 3/22/18)

There are days when Tony wishes his life were a little simpler.

 

He doesn’t want to sound ungrateful, because he knows he’s luckier than most, to be born not only into a wealthy family, but also blessed with stellar intellect. Many people would be happy with just one of the two. But this also means many people have no idea the kind of stress and pressure Tony constantly feels in his everyday life.

 

Sure, Tony can honestly say that he enjoys seeing how his inventions are impacting the world in positive and meaningful ways. But the thing is, being the CEO, CTO, and head of R&D for a global tech conglomerate is exhausting. When he’s not holed up in his workshop designing and testing his latest products for Stark Industries, he’s dealing with shareholders and potential investors, or attending snobby galas full of people who are interested only in his money. The only time he’s not directly dealing with SI business is when he visits children’s hospitals and orphanages on behalf of the Maria Stark Foundation, which he truly enjoys because the kids are delightful, but even then he has his publicist following him around and his charitable partnerships manager updating him with details of his next commitment.

 

So yeah, sometimes Tony wishes he could just _be_. Have time for himself, work on things unrelated to SI, discover what he’s passionate about besides the advancement of technology, and maybe develop some genuine relationships with people who care about him as just Tony. Not Tony Stark.

 

The idea comes to Tony one day as he’s nursing a latte in a coffee shop down the street from Stark Tower. He had finally finished going over R&D’s latest project and found a chance to escape from work to wind down a little bit. Sitting there basking in the cozy atmosphere of the cafe, he sees how comfortable so many of the patrons look — how content they are to casually spend time with their friends as if they have nothing to worry about at the moment. For the most part the baristas seem happy too, with their friendly greetings and widening smiles when they see regulars walk through the door.

 

Tony knows, practically, that he has too much on his plate to even consider a venture like this. And as much as he loves coffee, these businesses are a dime a dozen in New York. The romantic that’s usually hidden deep down within him, however, decides he wants it anyway. He’s going to open his own coffee shop.

 

***

 

In order to fulfill his new dream, Tony hands off some of his responsibilities to Pepper. Since he hired her, she has been the backbone of not only Stark Industries but also his life. She’s the most supportive person he’s known throughout his entire adult life and Tony isn’t sure where he would be now without her. Pepper has been an amazing friend. She has his and the company’s best interests at heart at all times, and he can’t think of anyone more capable of taking over the reins at SI. So he steps down as CEO and places the company in her hands.

 

“Are you sure about this, Tony?” Pepper asks. “Not that I’m saying no to this opportunity, but are you sure?”

 

Tony picks up the pen laying on the desk between them and hands it to her. “You’re the one always telling me to find some time for myself and relax. I can’t do that if I’m both the CEO and CTO. I trust you to do what’s best for the company. You’ve practically been running it for years anyway. Besides, now I can focus on the true love of my life. Coffee.”

 

Pepper sniffles a bit as they hug, and he knows he’s made the right decision.

 

***

 

It doesn’t take long for Tony to learn all there is about the art of making coffee. After all, he became an expert in thermonuclear astrophysics practically overnight (which he would never regret. Bruce Banner is now his science bro forever and always), so spending two weeks at home experimenting with different roasts and learning how to make espresso-based drinks wasn’t a hardship at all.

 

The actual hardest part, he finds, comes the day he registers his new business and has to give it a name.

 

Tony decides early on that the shop is going to be his own private passion project. He doesn’t want the cafe to be associated with SI in any way, so giving it the Stark name is out of the question. The problem is, he _sucks_ at naming things. All his products are attached with “Stark” because he’s only creative with designs and not words. When he does attempt to think of non-Stark names, well...he named his bots DUM-E and U.

 

He looks at his name. Tony. This started because he wanted time to be just Tony. TONY. YNOT. Y NOT?

 

_Y NOT: Coffee Engineer_

 

Why not? His family has a habit of naming companies after themselves after all.

 

***

 

Within a few months Tony finds a former warehouse space in Brooklyn and converts it into a coffee shop. The interiors are done with a combination of Scandinavian and industrial design elements thrown in. A giant state-of-the-art Giesen roaster is stationed behind the bar, and the middle of the store has an area with different types of coffee beans available for the patrons to sniff-test before they decide which to order. He installs Jarvis in the back office to deal with the books and manage the wifi. It’s the simplest job Jarvis has done yet and even he seems more relaxed in Y NOT compared to back at Stark Tower.

 

The store is next to a chocolate processing factory which helps with bringing in customers who want a nice cup of coffee to balance out the sweetness. Business is surprisingly booming early on, and he quickly realizes he needs to hire more staff to keep the shop running on days when he’s not around (which, disappointingly enough, is a lot of the time).

 

Tony ropes in his favorite research assistant Peter to help out at the store. Peter’s aunt May occasionally brings by baked goods to sell. DUM-E and U get a new baby brother, Butterfingers, who helps out full time at Y NOT. DUM-E trains him on how to brew the drinks and Bruce teaches him his croissant recipe. Jarvis shows him YouTube videos on how to make different kinds of iced tea.

 

Early on, Tony decides to do away with traditional store hours since his schedule tends to be highly unpredictable and he wants to be present at the cafe as much as possible without it interfering with his sleep or SI work.

 

Y NOT is open six days a week, Sunday to Friday, 7 to 6, for all his regular employees. For Tony, there are times when he finds himself free after design meetings at 8pm, and he’d drive to Brooklyn to open up the shop again and man it himself until he feels like going home, which could range anywhere from midnight to the next morning. Sometimes Peter and Bruce join him in his weird hours. Pepper occasionally brings her laptop to the store to get some work done. His best friend Rhodey hangs out at Y NOT almost all the time when he’s in town. Butterfingers is always there to keep him company.

 

Y NOT soon becomes well-known in Brooklyn as the cafe with eccentric drinks and even more eccentric hours. Customers hardly ever know when the cafe will be open or not after 6 and on Saturdays, especially since Tony only remembers to post the spontaneous hours of the day on Y NOT’s social media pages about half the time. Tony thrives in this new environment, as if he was born to do this. The people who manage to catch Tony working at the store always seem to do a double take when they recognize who he is, but they get over it soon enough and they all get on with the day. Having lived under the spotlight all his life, Tony gets used to these looks quickly and is only thankful that the people who come here seem to really only care about coffee.

 

It’s comfortable. Y NOT quickly becomes Tony’s safe space, like his workshop in the tower. But unlike the workshop, Y NOT is the safe space where Tony goes to welcome socializing, not escape from it.

 

It’s refreshing.

 

***

 

Steve Rogers comes into Tony’s life at 3pm on a Thursday afternoon.

 

It’s one of the rare days where Tony manages to get to the shop early on and pitch in during regular store hours. Peter is in the back rolling out dough with Butterfingers and Tony is behind the counter punching in orders when the cutest man he’s ever seen in his life steps up to the bar.

 

Small, blond, and skinny, the guy seems like he’s ready for the day to end. He looks exhausted, and if Tony were Pepper, he’d tell the guy to maybe get some sleep, not caffeine. But Tony isn’t Pepper, and he’s proud of the coffee he serves at Y NOT, and he’s already counting on it to get the man to come back another time.

 

“Hi, what can I get you today?” Tony greets the man with his most charming smile.

 

His new customer’s cheeks redden. “Uh.. Just a black coffee.”

 

“Do you have a particular roast in mind?”

 

“Um, no… I don’t really have much of a preference.” His eyes don’t quite meet Tony’s, and for a moment, he thinks he’s offended the man.

 

The shop isn’t busy at this time of the day, so Tony steps out from behind the counter and gestures to the bean station. “Let me introduce you to some of the beans we have in stock.”

 

The man listens intently as Tony gives a brief description of each roast, and does the sniff test when Tony tells him to. In the end, he picks a light roast that’s one of Tony’s favorites.

 

After paying for his order, the man heads over to an empty table, pulls out a pen and giant stack of papers, and gets settled in.

 

Tony watches him curiously from behind the counter as he takes a sip of his experimental coffee. He makes the universal face of dislike and stares in disappointment at the cup. Frowning, Tony rounds the counter and marches straight toward him.

 

“Is something wrong with your coffee?” he asks politely. Not everyone is pleased with their first cup. But with some tinkering, he usually always finds the blend that works well for each patron.

 

The man’s blue eyes widen in embarrassment and he shakes his head. “No, you’re great,” he blurts, seeming to realize the error he’d made instantly. He stammers on. “ _It’s_ great. I meant _it’s_ great,” he finishes purposefully, carefully, his cheeks and neck bright red.

 

Surprised, and even more amused, Tony takes the cup of coffee off the table and promptly tosses the contents out the door. “Come on.”

 

Tony spends the next hour and a half experimenting with different roasts and combinations and creamers until they find the exact perfect blend for him. This time, when he takes a sip, his grin does something to Tony that he hadn’t been prepared for.

 

“Thanks, this is perfect,” he says, taking another sip from his new favorite coffee, “I’m Steve, by the way.”

 

“I’m glad we could find the right coffee for you, Steve. The face you made earlier could’ve turned people away,” he laughs. “I’m Tony.”

 

“I know.”

 

Right. Billionaire. Famous. Probably everyone knows who he is. “Well, nice to meet you, Steve. Enjoy your coffee.” Tony smiles at him as he darts back around the counter to help the next customer.

 

Out of the corner of his eyes, he sees Steve frown a bit as he walks back to his table.

 

***

 

Tony doesn’t see Steve again for another week and a half, which isn’t a surprise since he hadn’t been able to make it over to Brooklyn for a few days, and when he did, it wasn’t during regular hours. One night as he’s hanging out with Butterfingers, he hears the door to the store open and turns around to see Steve walking in.

 

Immediately, a smile breaks out across Tony’s face. “Hey, Steve. Here for a late night coffee?”

 

Steve’s cheeks pink as he smiles and says yes. He takes a seat at the next table over while Tony busies himself with brewing the coffee.

 

Walking back over, Tony places the mug down on the the table and takes a seat next to Steve. Butterfingers rolls over and nudges Steve’s hand.

 

“So this is Butterfingers. Butterfingers, this is Steve.”

 

Steve shakes Butterfingers’ hand. “Hey there. If your name is Butterfingers, should you really be around fragile ceramics and glassware?”

 

Tony chuckles. “Well, he did break a couple mugs when he first started out. He’s a lot more careful now, but mainly we call him Butterfingers because he likes making the croissants.”

 

Butterfingers nods in agreement.

 

Tony turns his attention on Steve and asks, “So no giant stack of papers to go through tonight?”

 

“Um, no.” Steve shakes his head. “I finished grading all the papers a couple days ago.”

 

“You’re a teacher?”

 

“Yeah! High school humanities. Last week I gave out mock AP Art History exams and it took a while to go through all the essays. I actually came back here to work through them last week, but it didn’t look like you were working.”

 

Tony perks up, delighted to hear that Steve noticed when he wasn’t around. But Steve has to know that his full time gig as a billionaire industrialist takes time away from being at Y NOT. “Well, you know, my day job got a bit busy the last few days so I could only come by in the off hours.”

 

“Oh, of course, this can’t be your only job.” Steve nods in understanding, then frowns. “I was actually wondering, doesn’t the shop close at 6? Why are you still working when it’s almost 9?”

 

“I like being here. Since we opened, Y NOT has kind of become my happy place,” Tony explains. “So when I’m free from designing new products and doing charity work, I come here, even when we’re technically closed.”

 

“The boss doesn’t mind?”

 

Of course Pepper doesn’t mind. She knows how much more relaxed Tony has been since he opened Y NOT. “Definitely not. Pepper knows I like working here and trusts that as long as my two jobs don’t interfere with each other, I can open up shop as often as I want. Usually if I remember then I’ll let people know on Twitter when we’re open after hours.”

 

“Did you design Butterfingers?”

 

“I did.” Tony finds himself unable to resist sharing with Steve. “He’s my newest bot. There’s also DUM-E and U, back home in the workshop. They’re brothers.”

 

Steve’s eyes soften as he turns to pet Butterfingers again. “That’s incredible. I’d love to meet them.”

 

“Maybe one day.” Tony finds he means it.

 

***

 

Steve becomes a regular off-hour customer over the next two months.

 

Over time, Tony gets to know more about Steve through shy, brief conversations at the testing stations. He’s a born-and-bred Brooklynite, went to Pratt and graduated with a degree in fine arts, but ultimately pursued a career in teaching to pay the bills. His mother’s a nurse and raised him all by herself after his dad died when Steve was four. He likes to draw in his free time, and he loves his students just as much as he loves his art.

 

Tony quickly learns that Steve is caring and compassionate in a way that only a teacher can be, putting his students before himself, and holding their wellbeing and education to the highest standard. Tony only wishes that his teachers were as thoughtful when he was the gawky fourteen year old kid in advanced arithmetic courses at MIT.

 

Puberty hadn’t been kind to Steve and his growth spurt stopped once he hit 5’6”. He makes up for his small stature with a big personality and sunny disposition. He grew up scrappy and was caught in many street fights but doesn’t regret a single one because he doesn’t tolerate bullying and isn’t afraid to stand up for what’s right.

 

Every once in a while, Steve would bring two of his closest friends to Y NOT. Steve tends to seem more relaxed when he’s around them, so Tony is thankful for their presence at times. Bucky, Steve’s childhood best friend, was in the army before he got honorably discharged. Now he’s getting his degree in integrative neuroscience at Fordham.

 

Steve met his other friend, Sam, in his second year teaching, when Sam was hired as the new school counselor after he moved from DC to Brooklyn. They all come often enough that before long, they meet Peter, Bruce, and Pepper as well.

 

Pepper towers over Steve in her heels when they meet, and as they shake hands, Steve tells Pepper how glad he is to finally meet Tony’s boss and how much he enjoys the coffee and atmosphere in Y NOT.

 

“I’m glad to hear that, Steve,” Pepper says. “But Y NOT is really Tony’s baby. Without him there would be no coffee shop at all. I’m really only here to hang out.”

 

They get along like a house on fire afterwards, bonding over their mutual love of art. Tony leaves them to it and tunes them out once they start talking about their opinions on post modern art and its presence within the city.

 

His heart warms as he realizes his friend circle is slowly expanding. This is exactly what he was hoping for when he first decided to open his own coffee shop.

 

***

 

The next time Rhodey is back in town, Tony introduces him to Steve and his friends.

 

“Tony talks about you all the time. It’s good to finally put a face to the name,” Rhodey says with a smug grin.

 

Tony’s ears redden.

 

“Oh! Oh I’m sure he doesn’t talk about me that much. I’m not that interesting…” Steve answers bashfully.

 

“Dude, trust me. You’re practically all he talks about. I’m almost worried I’ve been replaced as his best friend.” Rhodey slaps Tony on the shoulder before rubbing the spot gently.

 

“Aw honey bear, you know you can’t get rid of me that easily.” Tony grins, looking back toward Steve.

 

Rhodey stares between the two of them as he leans against the counter. “So, Tony tells me you’re a teacher, Steve?”

 

“Yeah, I really enjoy it. In fact, I’ve got midterms to grade.” He nods toward the messenger bag draped over his shoulder, filled to the brim with papers.

 

“Well, don’t let us keep you,” Rhodey offers, not wanting to take up any more of his time.

 

Steve smiles at the two of them and nods. “This will definitely take a while.”

 

After Steve leaves, Rhodey turns to Tony and asks, “So, Mr. Stank, when are you going to ask Steve on a date?”

 

Tony’s eyes follow Steve to his usual table before he turns back to Rhodey, narrowing his eyes at the man skeptically. “What are you talking about?”

 

“It’s obvious you have a crush on him, and it’s obvious he likes you too,” he supplies.

 

“I’m 38, I don’t have _crushes_ on pe—wait, you think he likes me?” Tony resents the hopeful twinge in his chest.

 

“Tony, you’re an idiot. Of course he likes you. He comes here practically everyday to hang out with you,” says Rhodey, lowering his voice. He rests his elbows on the counter as Tony busies himself with counting out the register.

 

“Maybe he just really likes the coffee.”

 

“Tony. I’m going to say this again. You’re an idiot.” Rhodey grins over the top of his coffee mug and elects to say no more. He saunters over to a table near the counter so he can remain within talking distance of Tony.

 

“You’re no longer welcome here,” Tony replies, stuffing the cash back into the register unceremoniously.

 

“I can’t believe you’re being rude to one of the great servicemen of our country. Shame on you.” Rhodey laughs, leaning back in his chair.

 

“That’s funny, I don’t see any great servicemen. I just see you,” Tony teases, disappearing into the back.

 

Rhodey’s laughter follows him.

 

***

 

Two weeks after Rhodey leaves, Tony finds himself working in store earlier than usual. He gets there in the early afternoon and stays until closing, needing the menial work to occupy his hands and mind after a stressful meeting with R&D.

 

There is only one customer so far, as Tony had forgotten to post the hours yet again. Halfway through cleaning the espresso machine, Steve walks in.

 

Since Rhodey’s previous observations about him and Steve, Tony has resigned to the fact that yes, he does in fact have feelings for this gentle, kind man who’d quickly occupied his thoughts on a near constant basis. So when Tony sets eyes on him, his face lights up.

 

“Hey Steve.” Tony attempts to sound nonchalant, but he comes off far too enthusiastic. _Pathetic_ , he chides himself.

 

“Hey Tony.” Steve approaches the counter timidly with hands behind his back. “I, uh. I saw you were closing and I wasn’t going to come in and bother you. But I got something for you, figured I should give it to you sooner rather than later.”

 

Intrigued, Tony stops what he’s doing and gives Steve his full attention, dropping his failed attempt at acting casual. “A surprise gift? Those are the best.”

 

Slowly, carefully, Steve places a half-folded piece of paper down in front of Tony. “I drew this for you.”

 

Tony has wanted to see Steve’s work for quite some time. He’d been shy about it before, not wanting more attention than he thinks he deserves.

 

But now, not only is Steve giving him the honor of seeing his art, but he’s also drawn something _specifically_ for Tony. He picks up the piece of paper and delicately unfolds it, gasping as he fully takes in the scene laid out before him.

 

In impeccable detail, Steve has drawn himself and Tony sitting together in a diner with a plate of fries and a milkshake between them. However, the food remains untouched and ignored, the two men in the sketch gazing at each other with matching smiles on their faces and Steve’s hand holding Tony’s on top of the table.

 

Overwhelmed, and with his heart in his throat, Tony looks back up to see Steve standing there nervously, waiting for a reaction from Tony.

 

“So,” Steve says, clearing his throat. “Would you like to go on a date with me?”

 

“Yes. Absolutely. Yes.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Of course! Want to go right now? I’m free now.”

 

“Now is good. Now is great,” Steve stammers out.

 

Together, they finish up the rest of Tony’s closing duties in record time. Tony locks up the store and takes Steve’s hand in his as they walk down the street.

 

***

 

The date goes really well. Better, in fact, than Tony ever imagined.

 

They don’t go to a diner. Instead, they opt for cozy, family-run pizzeria that Tony frequents when he needs comfort food. They spend hours in the quaint pizzeria, discussing their day, talking about their friends, and any other topic that may arise in their easy conversation.

 

Their hands touch, fingers brushing and interlacing. Their feet tap against each other, Steve’s foot running one way and Tony’s running another.

 

Steve insists on paying since he’s the one who asked Tony out. He tells Tony he can pay next time and Tony gleefully accepts. Because the idea of a _next time_ thrills him. _Next time_ is something he never considered.

 

Still, he’s not ready for the date to end. So he looks over at Steve sheepishly, “Wanna come back to my place?”

 

For a moment, Tony thinks Steve will refuse, and he prepares himself for the inevitable rejection. But the blush creeping into Steve’s cheeks, followed by his apprehensive though delighted nod makes Tony’s heart leap with joy.

 

***

 

The moment they get to Stark Tower, Tony feels a shift in the atmosphere between them. Steve is strangely quiet on the way up to the penthouse. He’s holding himself stiffly, and the air in the elevator is buzzing with tension of the unsexy kind.

 

Tony’s not sure where he went wrong or if there was something he did between the trip from the restaurant to the tower that may have made Steve change his mind. The last thing he wants to do is pressure Steve into anything he isn’t ready for, particularly if he’s uncomfortable even being around Tony. But they’d had such a nice time, hadn’t they? Was he completely blind to the fact that Steve found him repulsive?

 

As they step out of the elevator, Tony is about to ask if Steve is alright when the man in question cuts through the silence.

 

“You’re Tony _Stark_?!” He exclaims.

 

A surprising question since Tony clearly recalls Steve recognizing him the day they met. “I thought you knew? I distinctly remember you saying ‘I know’ when I told you my name.”

 

“You were wearing a name tag!” Steve specifies, although far too late.

 

Tony frowns, “...okay, that’s fair.”

 

“I thought you worked part-time in robotics? Or maybe you were a freelance product designer or something? And that you got the rest of your paycheck from working as a barista. _I thought Pepper was your boss._ ” Steve gapes in awe at the impressive penthouse. Stone floors, a sunken living room situated next to a cozy fireplace, and large, floor-to-ceiling windows that give him the most gorgeous view of the city anyone could ever see.

 

“Well, you’re technically not wrong about any of that. SI does have a robotics department. And a majority of our products are my designs.” Tony tries fighting off a smile, but it breaks through despite his efforts. “Pepper _is_ my boss, technically. She’s my CEO, which definitely ranks above CTO and let’s be real, she’s been running my life since before I gave her the promotion. My paycheck is just a little steadier, and uh, heftier, than you thought.”

 

“Oh _god_ you’re actually the owner of Y NOT, aren’t you? I just realized Y NOT is ‘Tony’ spelled backward.” Steve puts his face in his hands. “You love coffee. And you’re an engineer. All those weird hours make so much more sense now,” he mumbles.

 

“Steve.” Tony takes ahold of his wrist gently and guides him to the couch. He makes sure to leave a foot of space between them as they take a seat, not wanting to alarm Steve with too close contact. “Steve, I understand this is all a shock to you and it’s a lot of information to digest. I just. Is this going to be a problem?”

 

Sensing Steve’s hesitation, Tony barrels on. “I know that sometimes my wealth can make other people uncomfortable. And people feel intimidated by me when they first meet me. But if this is something we can work through, I’d like to try. I really, really like you, Steve.”

 

“It’s not...its not about the wealth. It’s just, you’re Tony Stark.” Steve heaves a sigh, his shoulders slumping. “You’re amazing on so many levels and you can have anyone you want. You can be dating buff athletes and beautiful models. Why would you want a skinny, scrappy teacher from Brooklyn?”

 

Tony stares down at their hands, shaking his head. “Steve, you’re one of the kindest, most thoughtful and selfless people I know. You _listen_ to me. You ask how my day is and are genuinely interested in the answer.” He meets Steve’s eyes. “I know I can be a force of nature at times, but it doesn’t seem to bother you in the slightest. I can’t tell you how many people I talk to, and I can tell that all they’re seeing is a talking bag of money. People think they can’t connect with me, so they don’t even try.”

 

“Tony...” Steve squeezes his hands gingerly.

 

“They listen to me because I have money. Because I’m Tony Stark, the genius billionaire industrialist.” Tony smiles. “You talk to Tony the barista.”

 

“Can I say something?” Steve requests.

 

“Go for it.”

 

“I like Tony the genius, billionaire.”

 

His heart sinks and his fingers loosen their hold on Steve.

 

“But I prefer Tony the barista.” Steve’s grip tightens to prevent Tony from slipping away from him.

 

“Is that so?” A slow smile spreads across Tony’s face.

 

“Is that a problem?”

 

“Not in the slightest.”

 

“Should we kiss now?”

 

“Okay.”

 

***

 

The next morning, after breakfast and coffee, Tony drags Steve down to the workshop to meet DUM-E and U.

 

The bots love him.

 

***

 

On the morning of Y NOT’s first anniversary, Tony unveils a new mural painted across the cafe’s largest wall.

  
  
In the mural, Tony’s family of bots is gathered by the tasting station. DUM-E, with his claw hanging forlornly over a hill of spilled coffee beans. U, using a blender as a scoop. And Butterfingers, holding a tray of his signature croissants. Off to the side, a group of friends hangs out next to the coffee counter, chatting and laughing together. Behind the bar, the brunet barista is happily teaching a shorter blond man how to use the espresso machine.

 

Standing in the midst of a bustling cafe with friends surrounding him, Tony hadn’t expected his happiness to come in such strides. What started out as an experimental way for him to deal with his stress, quickly turned into something even better than he imagined.

 

As Tony stares fondly at the mural, he finishes wiping a glass and puts it in its designated spot before rounding the counter and taking a seat across from Steve at their usual table.

**Author's Note:**

> if you're wondering, the inspo i got for how Y NOT would look is a combination of these two coffee shops:  
> [NOC Coffee Co.](https://www.instagram.com/noccoffeeco/)  
> [Quantum Coffee](https://www.instagram.com/quantumcoffeeco/)
> 
> tumblr post for this fic is here
> 
> and here we are:  
> [kayytx](http://kayytx.tumblr.com/)  
> [downeylove](http://downeylove.tumblr.com/)


End file.
